Congratulations on your graduation. My advice to you came from my parents many years ago. "Determine how much you want to save, and figure out how to live on the rest". Over the years I found that a little sacrafice paid off handsomely later in life. I was able to retire at 45 and enjoy a lifestyle that most people can only wish for.

Just something to think about. Good luck.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tox
[B]IMO, you should also consider what else you could do with the 15-kilobuck difference between an S2000 or an M3.

 

I need some seed corn. Cmon stock options!

 

The M3 is in a different class but it has the prestige of a BMW. Having said that, the S2000 is a unique sports car, fun to drive and Honda reliability.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tox
[B]IMO, you should also consider what else you could do with the 15-kilobuck difference between an S2000 or an M3.

 

Tox and John hit the nail on the head.

What else can you be doing with that $? Do you have a job lined up after graduation? Have you set a budget? These are the kinds of questions that you should be asking yourself, IMO.

I love the new M3 and would kill to have one. Just kidding about the killing part, but you get my point. The reality of life says that I can find a lot of better (better for me anyways) to do with the nearly $30K USD difference in price. That's if I could actually find an M3 at MSRP and ready for delivery.

Keep in mind that I am a banker and fiscally conservative by nature, but my advice is to take the $30K delta and invest it into a down payment on your first home. Tax write offs and appreciation in your assets will become very important to you very soon once you start making your own $.

Just my thoughts.

Now... how about your parents buying that M3 for me??? I did well in undergrad!!

 

I agree that the M3 is awsome and in many ways better than the S2000. The biggest disadvantages are the weight and the reliability. If you like a lightweight "tossable" sports car, I think the M3 is too heavy, but that's personal preference. Another reason I like the S2000 more is that it is more unique and gets more positive reactions from people on the street.

The S4 is nice, but everyone I know that owns one has had very serious problems with them. The turbos fail at an alarming rate and various other mechanical/electrical problems seem to keep them in the shop all the time.

 

I'm not sure the cars are really apples & oranges. Both are extremely sporting models if you like to tear up asphalt. The M3 board people probably also complain about how their ride isn't made for drag racing ("damn those C5 vettes..."). To me, the S2K isn't just a roadster. It is a luxury sports car, as discussed in other threads. If someone offered me either car for free I'd take the M3, then buy myself an S2000. If someone said here's $50K for a car plus whatever I'd take the S2K in a heartbeat (and maybe add the supercharger).

I don't know where you guys see ONLY a $15K difference. You can get an S2K for $32.5. I haven't heard of a new M3 under $50K (and BMW options are notoriously $$).

 

I heard someone say that a BMW dealer in the south bay had a new M3 (silver). Somebody ordered it and backed out. Some parent bought it for junior for good work in school. I heard the kid just turned 16, must be nice His dad paid a price since there was a line out the door inquiring about the new M3. The dealer sold it for 75K.

 

This is such a hard decision. Some have stated that they would choose the S2000 over the M3 because of it's uniqueness and the way it catches people's eyes, compared to the subtle M3 which has very little differences with any other 3 series in the eye's of casual motorists. But how will the S2000 be in two years? ( if production persists) The car will still be there, but will the flame be? Will people still follow the driver of the S2000 around just to get a look? What I'm asking is, will the flare of the S2000 be present in a couple to few years? You think the new M3 will be as prominent and widely owned like the E36 M3?